In 1980, Walt Disney World was still a good neighbor resort—they would often publicize local and more regional attractions. I ran across this unique FODOR’S guide to Florida from 1980, a scant two years before EPCOT Center would open and the time when Disney would undergo a shift in management and outlook about their neighbors. Once EPCOT Center opened and Disney had a lot more to promote at their Florida property, they changed how they promoted themselves.
I am fascinated by how Walt Disney World was marketed before Eisner and Disney’s Adventure Guide to Florida – A FODOR’S Travel Book has a great two-page layout about Walt Disney World with a pretty amazing picture. The whole book is 64 pages and features 49 other Florida attractions.
Walt Disney World, 20 miles southwest of Orlando, is the leading family attraction in Florida. There’s nothing quite like it east of California’s Disneyland. Comer early—and come often; one day isn’t long enough to enjoy the magic world that was built by Mickey Mouse and his friends.
And the overlay is this amazing picture:
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| Even an 11 x 17 scanner can’t get a great image of the photo. Click on it to make it larger. |
Check out the layers of the composition: the Nautilus, the Sky Buckets and Space Mountain. Who wouldn’t want to visit this place? It is also a fantastic angle that you didn’t see very often in Walt Disney World marketing. If you click on the image to see the larger version, you can almost make out the Sky Bucket turning point to the left of Space Mountain. It looks like the buckets had to go down, make the turn and then go back up. Okay, maybe I need to get another hobby.
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